The Anti-Resolution

Everywhere I look, I see people making New Year's Resolutions. The evidence is all around me. I went to volunteer at the computer lab at the YMCA and the parking lot was decidedly more full with those poor souls that made it their resolution to become more fit and shed pounds. All of my favorite programs on the Food Network have been hijacked by health nuts who are trying to convince me that eating light can taste better than eating huge portions of the calorie loaded foods I love. Fat chance. Even my dear husband has been swept away in all of the new years resolution mania. Over at his blog, Nearjah's Ink, his first post of the year is all about his 2006 intentions to go to the gym, swim and actually use his blog. I knew he was a gonner when he purchased a brand, spanking new bathroom scale that has a computer in it to tell you if you have gained or lost weight.

Over the years I have made countless resolutions from losing weight to reading my Bible daily. While I started out with good intentions, I had a hard time following through. I know that I am not alone and should not feel like a complete and utter failure, but I can't get over the feeling that by botching my longterm goal, I am reflecting poorly on myself and my ability to perservere.

My theory about why New Year's Resolutions fail is largly to blame on too lofty a goal. Folks that want to lose weight, for instance, have to realize that weight loss includes a change in lifestyle, activity level and diet. Unfortunately, people go into their weight loss adventure expecting to change all three at once. By breaking up the goal into a more manageable goal, a person can achieve gradual success. For instance, he/she could set the goal to go for a walk after dinner three time a week and eliminate dessert except on Sundays. These smaller goals are baby steps to a healthier lifestyle. I always felt that when I had gone off my diet one weekend or that I missed my exercise routine for a couple days, I had failed and there was no use continuing. Then I would go get a carton of ice cream and go crazy.

And so for me...while I resolve to make no more New Year's resolutions (a resolution I am sure to keep), I do intend to set a few manageable goals for myself in 2006. Goal setting can be productive because it tells me where I want to focus my energy.

The first goal that I am setting for myself is to make my first sweater! This is exciting for me because I have been knitting for a little over a year. I started out like most new knitters making at least one million scarves and a couple hats. I graduated to making socks and I did a shawl and I even made a little sundress for a toddler. I found a pattern that I like very much in Knitpicks catalog called the Marina Pullover, designed by Elizabeth Fallone. I have made my guage swatches and practiced the cable work and I think I am ready to cast on. I will post a picture of the sweater in another post to come.

My next goal is to update my blog and have 5 people link to me. Notice that I am not committing to blogging every other day or resolving to become the most popular knitting blog online. I am simply setting the goal to add new content and have it linked to a few other blogs or websites.

My last goal deserves a post all by itself....

Consider me unresolved!
Stacy